Citizen Science Soil Collection Program

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IMPACT

You are making a difference in the world.

June 16, 2016

Thank you for your support in our Thousands Strong campaign! Your generous donation will help us keep the collection kits going out across the nation. Because of people like you, we can continue seeking life-saving discoveries in the fight against pediatric cancers, breast cancers, fungal infections, and other debilitating diseases. You are making a difference in the world!

Today is the last day of the campaign! Though we didn’t reach our goal, we will continue to push forward with the great strides already made with this important program. Please be sure to keep up with us online at www.npdgcitizenscience.org and continue to share the program with your friends and family!

Shawano, WI Kindergarten Class Learn Through Citizen Science

June 10, 2016

The Citizen Science Soil Collection Program not only supports potentially life-saving research, but also focuses on educating the public about the value of soil and microbes. Because of the help of donors like you, the Natural Products Discovery Group is able to send collection kits to school groups across the nation.

Citizen scientists of every age are taking part in the research process! Ms. Heins' kindergarten class in Shawano, Wisconsin, recently participated in the Citizen Science Soil Collection Program as part of a lesson on soil science. Click here to view the video they put together of their citizen science experience. Thank you to Sarah Heins, Jamie Patton, and our young group of citizen scientists for their great work!

This campaign helps us reach more classes like this one, across the nation. With your help, we are making a difference and having a positive impact on the education of young future scientists!

You Never Know Where the Next Great Discovery is Going to Come From

June 07, 2016

Teaming up with the University of Oklahoma Library, the Natural Products Discovery Group is making data from the Citizen Science Soil Collection Program accessible to the public in an open access archive through ShareOK. Citizen scientists can now easily follow their samples online, discover how many fungi came from their sample, as well as view pictures of these amazing organisms! Participating in this program not only supports potentially life-saving research, but also provides an opportunity to learn about the value of soil and microbes. As OU Libraries Research Data Specialist, Mark Laufersweiler, says - "You never know where the next great discovery is going to come from." With your support, we are providing this opportunity to citizen scientists across the nation.

Drug Discovery

June 02, 2016

The overall 5-year survival rate for people with pancreatic cancer is 5%. That is why we love these images. The Natural Products Discovery Group is finding compounds from fungi that do not harm normal cells (healthy cells shown on the left), but are able to kill pancreatic cancer (untreated cancer cell shown in the middle image, dying cells on the right). With your support, we are finding new compounds for treating these and many other cancers. Thank you!

Thank you!

June 02, 2016

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What's in your backyard?

May 25, 2016

Generous donors like you are helping us keep this program alive. Thank you! The Citizen Science Soil Collection Program is focused not only on furthering potentially life-saving research, but also educating the public about the value of soil and microbes. Participants can follow their samples online at ShareOK to discover how many fungi came from their samples as well as view pictures of these amazing organisms. Click here to explore the Citizen Science Soil Collection Program on ShareOK. Watch the video below for a fun quick preview of a few fungal plate photos from citizen science samples from across the United States!

News Channel 4

May 19, 2016

Did you catch us on the news earlier this week? A big thank you to KFOR News Channel 4 for coming out to highlight the Citizen Science Soil Collection Program and our Thousands Strong campaign. If you missed it, you can view it online here. Donors like you help make this program possible. Thank you!

Citizen Science Soil Collection Program in Washington, D.C.

May 17, 2016

Thank you for supporting the Citizen Science Soil Collection Program and being a part of this important research! Dr. Robert Cichewicz, director of the Natural Products Discovery Group, was in Washington, D.C. this past Friday representing the program as part of the White House National Microbiome Initiative. We convinced him to take a selfie (which you see here) while in the nation’s capital for this amazing opportunity. Your support helps make the research possible! Please be sure to share our campaign page https://thousandsstrong.ou.edu/project/2273 with anyone who may interested in this worthwhile public research initiative.